Nothing's Gonna Stop Us
by Liselle129
Summary: While mentally and emotionally readying themselves for the confrontation with Fire Lord Ozai, Aang and Katara have a sexually charged conversation about their relationship.


Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or the song "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Jefferson Starship.

Author's Note: So I was having an '80s nostalgia evening not too long ago (yes, dating myself again), and I heard this song and thought there just had to be a Kataang fic in there somewhere. This takes place at some unspecified point in the future, probably shortly before they face the Fire Lord.

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us

_Lookin' in your eyes,  
I see a paradise.  
This world that I've found  
Is too good to be true.  
Standing here beside you,  
Want so much to give you  
The love in my heart  
That I'm feeling for you_

Aang sat at their campsite, mesmerized by Katara's face. Ever since his eyes had opened on this strange and unbalanced future, her blue gaze had drawn and held him. She shifted her focus now slightly to return his stare, and the pink lips moved. Wait…she had just asked him something.

"Um, sorry, what?" he asked, embarrassed. "I wasn't listening."

"You were looking right at me!" Katara protested.

"I know. Why do you think I was distracted?"

Katara blushed at that, and Aang couldn't help but grin at the reaction. However, it didn't stop her from retorting, hands on her hips in exasperation.

"Maybe I should work on that, then."

"No, please don't," Aang begged earnestly. "I like you distracting."

"Oh, you do, huh?"

"Uh, guys, I'm trying to eat over here," Sokka complained. "You think you could take the sexual banter somewhere else?" Both Aang and Katara blushed at this comment, though they couldn't really deny the accusation. Toph snorted into her dinner.

"All right, we will," Katara was the first to recover. She looked to Aang. "You don't mind?"

"No," he said. "I'm not really hungry, anyway."

_At least, not for dinner, _he added internally as he watched the way Katara's hips moved while she led the way to a nearby stream. Then he caught himself. _I've really got to stop thinking like that._ They sat down together, watching the rushing water.

"So what were you thinking about back there?" Katara asked. Aang smiled and looked straight into her face.

"I was looking at your eyes and remembering the first time I saw them, when I woke up in your arms. At first, I thought I had to be dreaming, or dead. You were just too beautiful to be real. Then I realized how cold it was and knew I had to be awake."

Katara looked away, though she linked her hand with his. There was silence for a moment. Then, as though gathering her courage, she met Aang's eyes again.

"You know, your eyes struck me right away, too. They seemed so exotic – I'd never seen eyes that color before. And there was something in them…I trusted you right away."

"I remember." Aang fell silent, just enjoying her company. He loved her so much, and he still couldn't seem to find a way to adequately show her. Words were simply not enough.

_Let 'em say we're crazy.  
What do they know?  
Put your arms around me, baby,  
Don't ever let go.  
Let the world around us  
Just fall apart.  
Baby, we can make it,  
If we're heart to heart._

Suddenly, Katara stood up, releasing his hand.

"As long as we're here, why don't we do some waterbending?" she invited.

"You just want to see me shirtless," Aang teased. As long as Sokka would assume they were engaging in sexual banter, they might as well be guilty. Katara tossed him an arch glance.

"Are you saying you don't want to see me in my underwear?"

"Hey, I never said I was complaining." Even as he spoke, he was already pulling his shirt over his head. By the time he had his boots off, Katara had already removed her clothes and waded into the water. Aang followed, and they began tossing water back and forth. Nothing really advanced, just a gentle warm-up.

"You know, this would probably look crazy to anyone else," Aang commented.

"So? Who cares what anyone else thinks?"

"You're right," Aang agreed. With that, he dropped the water, closed the distance between them, and wrapped his arms around Katara. She sighed as she embraced him in return, bending her head down to rest it on his bare shoulder. For the moment, they could have been alone in the universe.

_And we can build this thing together,  
Stand it strong forever,  
Nothing's gonna stop us now.  
And if this world runs out of lovers,  
We'll still have each other.  
Nothing's gonna stop us, nothing's gonna stop us now._

The feel of Katara's breath across his skin brought back to mind some of Aang's earlier thoughts, but he contented himself with merely standing and holding her. He shifted his hips in hopes that she would not notice his physical reaction to her proximity. He was completely surprised when hot drops began landing and running down his back. He gently pulled back, holding Katara by the shoulders to look at her.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, wiping at her eyes. Aang felt her tears like a physical pain, as he always did.

"What's the matter?" he asked with deep concern.

"It's just – I'm scared," she admitted. "We've been working towards this battle for so long, but now that it's almost here, I'm so afraid. Afraid I'm going to lose you. I feel like we've wasted so much time…"

"Katara," he said, softly but firmly. He waited for her to raise her eyes up to his. "I love you. Whatever else happens, I'm glad to have known that. I've learned a lot from you, but the most important thing is that the power of love is greater than anything else, even the Avatar spirit." Katara managed a weak smile, and Aang pulled her into what he hoped was a reassuring kiss. When they broke away, he paused and began to speak again.

"You know that I feel guilty for leaving my people when they needed me. No, don't," he admonished her as she opened her mouth to say something. It was an old argument, and he had no intention of going through it again now. He forced himself to meet her eyes. "Let me finish. What you _don't _know is that I feel even more guilty about the fact that, if I had known that running away was the only way I'd get to meet you, to be able to feel the way I do right now…I'd do it again."

_I'm so glad I found you,  
I'm not gonna leave you,  
Whatever it takes,  
I will stay here with you.  
Take it through the good times,  
See it through the bad times,  
Whatever it takes is what I'm gonna do._

Katara threw herself at him again, stunned by what he had just said. The depth of the feeling he was expressing for her blew her away.

"I don't care if it's wrong," she said. "Aang, I love you, too. I'm really glad you were in the ice, and that Sokka and I found you. I still believe it was meant to be." She allowed Aang to lead her out of the water and onto the bank. Letting the evening air dry them rather than using bending, they sat silently side by side for a while, watching the sunset.

"Maybe you shouldn't come with me," Aang started to say. Katara turned her head to look at him. She knew what he was talking about.

"Over my dead body!" she exclaimed.

"That's what I'm worried about," Aang muttered, looking at the ground. "I'm afraid of losing you, too, you know."

"Leaving me behind won't solve that," she pointed out. "Don't you think I'm struggling with this, too? I'm in this to the end, though. I'm sticking with you, no matter what. I want to be there when…whatever happens, happens. And like it or not, you need us. ALL of us." She heard Aang swallow hard, and he clasped her hand.

"Thank you, Katara."

_Let 'em say we're crazy,  
I don't care about that.  
Put your hand in my hand, baby,  
Don't ever look back.  
Let the world around us  
Just fall apart  
Baby, we can make it  
If we're heart to heart._

_And we will build this thing together,  
Stand it strong forever  
Nothing's gonna stop us now.  
And if this world runs out of lovers,  
We'll still have each other.  
Nothing's gonna stop us,  
Nothing's gonna stop us now._

Katara moved in and kissed him. It began innocently enough, but it wasn't long before she was pouring out her fears and desperation, drinking him hungrily as though it would be the last time. He responded to her need quickly, exploring her mouth boldly with his tongue and crushing her head to him with a hand on the back of her neck. She released his other hand and wrapped her arms around him. She wanted so badly to feel as much of him as possible. Their mouths broke contact, and she began trailing her lips down his jaw and neck.

"Katara," Aang said warningly, even as he shivered at her actions. She knew what he was trying to tell her, but she didn't want to listen, not this time. Instead, she nibbled a spot on his neck, darting her tongue out to sample his taste. He moaned but pushed away abruptly, putting some distance between them. His eyes were full of desire and the effort of restraining it, and he was breathing heavily. She was panting as well, wishing that he didn't have to be so damned noble all the time.

"You know, maybe we should…" she suggested.

"Katara, you _know _I can't."

"You _can,_" she corrected. "You just _won't._" Aang shot her a rueful glance.

"Well, yes, everything _works_, if that's what you're getting at," he acknowledged tightly. "And yes, it _can _be very awkward and inconvenient, thanks for asking."

"Would you prefer that it didn't work?" Katara asked, trying to regain the playful mood they'd had earlier. To her relief, Aang smiled faintly.

"I guess not," he admitted. He grew serious again. "Katara, we've been through this. Not only would Sokka kill me before Ozai ever got the chance, but if I didn't make it, and you were…I'm not having children with you if we're not going to be there to raise them together."

Listening to him, Katara fell in love with Aang all over again, and she felt badly for trying to tempt him into something they both knew was wrong.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just being selfish."

"That's okay," Aang answered. He grinned genuinely at her. "It's kind of nice to know I can have the same effect on you that you have on me." Katara smiled back, and everything between them was all right again. They dressed and sat next to each other once more, taking a few moments to collect themselves.

_Ooh, all that I need is you.  
You're all that I'll ever need.  
And all that I want to do  
Is hold you forever, forever and ever._

"Should we be going back?" Aang wondered, half worried that Katara would say yes.

"I don't think we need to just yet," Katara replied. Aang wrapped an arm around her shoulders and sighed contentedly as she leaned into him. He would happily stay here forever. If only they didn't need to eat and sleep. And save the world, and other, similar nonsense. Aang sighed again, this time in resignation. Katara caught the change and looked up at him questioningly.

"They'll be getting worried," Aang explained. "And I suppose we'll need to eat eventually."

"Let them worry," Katara tried to argue, but her tone sounded as if she, too, were preparing to give in to the pressures around them. They stayed only a few minutes longer. Aang stood up and offered Katara his hand. She took it and rose beside him.

"Katara," he said, still holding her hand. She turned to look fully at him. He wasn't even sure what he was going to say until it popped out. "Will you marry me?" A beautiful smile blossomed across her face.

"Of course. Was there any doubt?"

"There always is, until the question is answered," he answered philosophically. He kissed her chastely, and they walked hand in hand to rejoin the world.

_And we will build this thing together,  
Stand it strong forever  
Nothing's gonna stop us now.  
And if this world runs out of lovers,  
We'll still have each other.  
Nothing's gonna stop us._

--

Author's Note: Wow, that turned out totally differently than I thought it would. I know Aang sounds older here, and I'm sorry about that, but it just didn't seem to work any other way.


End file.
